4.29.2009

A Lesson In Hip Hop History.

Everyone is familiar with Andre "Dr. Dre" Young. He is a well known artists in the music industry as a legendary producer and rap icon for his works as a solo artist and gangsta rap group N.W.A. But Dre started his career earlier than that. In 1986, Dr. Dre ran with a crew that went by the name of The C.I.A. (Cru' in Action!) It consisted of K-Dee, Sir Jinx and Ice Cube.

Dre was also associated with another crew. The World Class Wreckin' Cru was a 1980s Electro-hop group out of Compton. It included DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, Shakespeare, Cli-N-Tel, and Mona Lisa Young (Dre's sister). They were managed by Jerry Heller who later became part of the gangsta rap scene on the west coast, forming Ruthless Records with Eazy-E, and helping the careers of other rap artists.

Dr. Dre also worked with the supergroup The Firm including Nas, Foxy Brown, and AZ. Dre did all the producing and they were signed to his label Aftermath. Their debut was the group's only release and they broke up in 1998 with each member continuing their solo career.

Here's one of their most popular songs "Phone Tap". If it sounds familiar, it's because Power 106 uses the beat for those phone taps in the mornings with Luther Lufey.